Willow home gave town an international flavor

Carol Willow of Liverpool and her late husband,
Steve, provided a home to 16 foreign exchange students who attended
Greenwood High School.

Carol and Steve, unable to have children of their own, hosted their first student, Eric Domier of Germany, in January 1992.

Carol had just received a promotion at Blue Shield when she asked one of her new coworkers if she had any children.

“She said no, but we host international exchange students,” said Willow. “A light went off.”

The Willows applied to the Academic Year
in America (AYA) international exchange program and Domier, who came as a
semester student, ended up staying for a year.

“We cried for three days when he left,” she said.

Carol wanted to apply for another student right away, but said she had to convince Steve who was a bit hesitant.

“We’ll never get another one like Eric,” he said.

Steve soon weakened and their next student, Gonzalo Martinez of Argentina, brought them just as much joy.

“After the third one, all of which were great, I no longer had to convince Steve,” said Carol.

At one point, the Willows hosted three students at one time, two girls and one boy.

“They got along wonderfully and it was one
of the best times of my life,” said Carol. “Our house was full and they
all helped out.”

The Willows hosted more boys than girls
because they could share them more. Steve would take them hunting and
fishing while Carol got involved in their school activities.

“Boys are easier,” she said. “Girls are
more emotional and read more into things, often misunderstanding what
you’re trying to say.”

During her first hosting experience, she
noted that Eric’s local coordinator never came to see him. The next year
the local coordinator gave up the position and Carol took it over.

As local coordinator, she acts as a
program liaison for AYA, covering the Central Pennsylvania region from
Selinsgrove to Harrisburg and Gettysburg. “I have placed over 50 kids in
homes over the years.”

Aside from finding host families,
coordinators are responsible for making placement arrangements with the
high school and supervising students throughout the year by checking
regularly with the student, host family and high school. They must then
submit reports to the AYA national office and be available to answer
questions or resolve concerns.

“About one out of every four students who
enter the program end up switching households during their stay,” said
Willow. “It’s my responsibility to either find them a new home or take
them into my home.”

Willow’s relationship with Greenwood has
come to an end as she looks ahead to a future in which she will no
longer be serving as the local AYA coordinator.

“Greenwood was so wonderful to the kids,
going overboard to welcome them,” she said. “I’m thankful for all they
have done and for their acceptance of the AYA program, but I’m just not
sure I want that responsibility anymore.”

She noted that one of the hardest
adjustments students have when coming to Perry County is not living in a
city where going to clubs is commonplace.

“I always teased my kids that of all the big cities in the U.S., they’re hearts will always be in Millerstown,” she said.

Her and Steve’s involvement with the exchange program, she said, changed their lives.

“Instead of having no children, we had 16.
We got to experience our parenting skills. We enjoyed being their
parents; it filled that void.”

In addition to Domier and Martinez, the
Willows were adopted parents to Jayme Arana of Brazil, Zoltan Kozma of
Hungary, Joaquin Martinez of Argentina, Alberto Marcos of Spain,
Danielle Costa of Brazil, Karin Prado of Brazil, Luke Karnecki of Poland
(now living in Brooklyn, N.Y.), Carlo Vasquez of Mexico, Maike Vogler
of Germany, Luis Arana of Brazil, Guilherme Santos of Brazil, Giovanny
Aviles of Ecuador, Daniel Garcia of Ecuador, and Victor Louzas of
Brazil.

“Our association with the program gave us
the opportunity to travel to many countries and truly experience their
cultures,” she said. “Staying with our kids’ families was very different
than staying in a motel.”

Willow noted that experiencing the warmth
and hospitality of people from other counties has greatly influenced the
way she lives her life. “The coming together of friends and family is
what life is all about. I have friends from all over the world.”

While she has no plans to host more
students in the immediate future, she hangs onto the memories. She
recalls their visit to Hungary where Kozma’s father was a supreme court
justice.

“We had a private tour where we got to sit in his chair and try on his robe.”

She also remembers Steve’s eagerness to
visit the Free Mason lodges in other countries where he often gave
speeches, and how much he enjoyed going hunting in Argentina.

She laughs as she recalls Gonzalo’s hunting trip in the U.S.

“He shot a deer and couldn’t bring himself to gut it. Now he’s a surgeon.”

The memories keep alive her desire to
someday host again. First, she will have to convince a special person
who has come into her life. She recently became engaged to Tom Eckenrode
of Lancaster.

“He loves to travel and we are planning to take a trip to Hungary where many of Tom’s family members still live.”

Hosting at least one more student is
something she would like to do so that Eckenrode, who has no children,
can experience what it’s like to have a teenager in the house.
Meanwhile, they will travel together to visit her many adopted sons and
daughters.

While Willow has told her kids that their
hearts always will be in Millerstown, it’s obvious they also will always
have a place in her heart.